


Autumn Silk

by StrategicDilemma



Series: Bederia Week 2020 [3]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Autumn, Bederia Week 2020, DressedinPinkShipping, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, Jouto-chihou | Johto, Kimono, Public Display of Affection, Vacation, bederia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:56:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22886677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrategicDilemma/pseuds/StrategicDilemma
Summary: Bede is tasked with deciding his and Gloria's next vacation.Rated T for slight language.Bederia Week Day 3: Traveling Together
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria
Series: Bederia Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1642540
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	Autumn Silk

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this partially at work and then left work early to finish it.
> 
> I seem to have a habit of following angst up with fluff. Enjoy!

“I wanna go somewhere,” Gloria mumbled thoughtfully, peering out the window of the Flying Taxi. 

Bede looked up from his book curiously, watching his partner trace a small design on the window absentmindedly. Placing a bookmark between the pages, he slid next to her and rested his chin on her shoulder, following her gaze out the window. “Where did this come from?” he asked.

Gloria lifted her hand off the glass to play with one of Bede’s curls while still watching the world below them. “Not sure. I guess it’s just been awhile since our last trip.”

“Hmmm,” Bede hummed, wracking his brain to calculate how long it had been since he and Gloria went on vacation together. They had visited the hot springs in Lavaridge about a year prior, but since then, the two had been swamped, Bede looking after his Gym and Gloria taking care of the seemingly infinite number of responsibilities associated with being Champion.

“We _are_ overdue for a vacation,” he agreed. He adjusted his head to better look at her. “Anywhere you want to go in particular?”

Gloria turned her head towards him, her eyebrows perked. “Oh, no you don’t,” she waved her finger in front of him before poking him on the nose. “It is _your_ turn to pick. I chose the last one.”

Bede rolled his eyes. “You never like my picks.”

“That’s because you pick boring places.”

“They were not boring, they just weren’t filled with bright lights and screaming children.”

“Bede, you took me to a _church_.”

“ _Excuse_ you, Hearthome’s Foreign Building is famous for its stained glass and rich architecture!” Bede’s tone was offended and his expression appalled, but Gloria just smirked. 

“It’s also just a church,” she teased, nudging his cheek with her nose. “Come on, you can come up with something fun, can’t you?”

Bede pouted, but nonetheless he wrapped his arms around Gloria’s stomach and squeezed tightly, pushing a tiny _eep!_ from Gloria. “Perhaps. I’ll see what I can find,” he promised.

\----

“Okay, where the _hell_ are we going?”

Bede raised an eyebrow at her teasingly, gesturing to the screen above the airport gate with “Goldenrod City (GRC)” printed in a large font. “I feel like you could use context clues to figure this out,” he replied.

“Don’t be a smartass,” Gloria rolled her eyes. “You know that doesn’t tell me shit.”

“I would argue it tells you quite a bit.”

Gloria huffed, annoyed, and sat down in one of the chairs in the waiting area, kicking her legs up and resting them on top of their suitcase. Bede had told her a week ago that he had picked the destination of their next vacation, but he had been vehemently refusing to tell her where they were going. He had just told Gloria to “bring her passport” when they were packing, not even telling her what sort of weather she should pack for, and even now, Bede wouldn’t let her see her boarding pass.

“Okay,” she frowned, “so we’re going to Goldenrod. That doesn’t mean much when it’s the _only_ international airport in Johto.”

“See? You know we’re going to Johto!” Bede smirked, sitting in the chair next to her. “Aren’t you glad I told you not to worry about weather?”

Gloria glared at him. “You are such a smug jerk.”

Bede leaned over and pulled the collar of Gloria’s shirt over slightly, pressing a soft kiss on her collarbone. “You asked for ‘something fun,’ didn’t you? I thought surprises were considered ‘fun.’” He followed his words up with several soft kisses up Gloria’s neck and face, tickling her skin with his lips. Gloria’s couldn't help blushing and giggling at the affection, trying to push Bede off her.

“Stop it!” she whined, blushing more when a few other passengers gave them strange looks. “Bede, we’re in public!”

Bede just grinned and pressed one last kiss against Gloria’s forehead. “Be a bit more trusting,” he said as he patted Gloria’s head. “You’ll enjoy yourself.”

“It’s hard to be trusting when I’m being whisked away internationally without a _clue_ of where I’m going,” Gloria grumbled. Bede gasped and mockingly put a hand to his chest in shock.

“How dare you! Here I am, being romantic, and my partner _dares_ to question my intentions!” He draped a hand dramatically across his forehead. “How unappreciative! All this effort, and no respect!”

“Shut _up_ ,” Gloria shoved him, but there was a smile on her face. “If you want to be romantic, go get me some snacks for the flight. I’ll love you forever if you get me some salt and vinegar chips.”

“I can manage that,” he replied, grabbing his wallet from his bag and getting up, heading to the closest shop.

“Get me a phrase book, too!” she called after him. “Apparently I need to practice my Johtonian!”

\----

Twelve hours on a plane passed by quickly; Gloria slept for most of the time, and Bede burned through a couple of books. At one point, the two huddled together to watch the movie, _Burning Beauty_ , on Gloria’s laptop, and Bede promised not to laugh when Gloria started crying when the Rapidash was able to find a kind, new owner in the end.

When they touched down in Goldenrod, the sun was low, the bright and clear sky turning orange as the afternoon started turning to evening. Nonetheless, the city was bustling around them, Goldenrod being the hub of the region. Bede managed to get ask for directions in Johtonian to the train station from a staff member at the airport, and after about thirty minutes of walking, they arrived.

Bede bought their train tickets while Gloria ran to the bathroom, still effectively hiding their ultimate destination.

“I swear, one of these days I’ll be able to read Johtonian and you won’t be able to pull this shit again,” Gloria growled at him, unable to decipher the text on the ticket at all. Bede just winked at her smugly.

As annoyed as she was at Bede’s secrecy, it had been so long since she had been in Johto, and seeing the beauty of Johto’s wildlife fly by through the train window made her heart warm. Autumn had just begun, and the leaves were slowly turning red and orange and covering the ground warm colors. She had seen pictures of Johto’s beautiful autumns, but this was the first time viewing it in person.

Bede rested a hand on her leg, and she turned her attention towards him. He smiled warmly, his expression beaming. He was obviously excited at being in Johto, too. Laying her hand on top of his, Gloria leaned over and kissed him softly, her nose brushing against his cheek.

Whatever Bede had planned for them, Gloria could tell it was would special. It already was.

A small jingle played through the speakers, followed by the train announcer’s voice. Initially the announcement was in Johtonian, but it was quickly followed by the Galarian translation:

_“Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon be arriving at Ecruteak City Station. Please ensure you have all your belongings and watch your step leaving the train.”_

Bede grinned at Gloria, raising his eyebrows. “I believe this is our stop.”

Gloria gasped.

Once the train stopped, Gloria rushed off onto the platform, her suitcase clamoring behind her. Bede exited much more gracefully, but even he was moving much more quickly than normal.

The Bell Tower greeted them, standing proudly over the city as its feet were surrounded by red and orange trees. The curved rooftops of each building could be seen from the platform, several pedestrians dressed in kimono and other formal, Johtonian attire strolling around the streets. Gloria’s eyes widened.

“Ecruteak??” she exclaimed excitedly, turning towards Bede. “You brought us to Ecruteak??”

Bede winked. “Surprise.”

Gloria dropped her suitcase and threw herself at Bede, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a heavy kiss, one which he gladly returned.

\----

Their hotel was a traditional _ryokan_ , each room having tatami mats and futons for each guest. When Gloria and Bede arrived at their room, two kimono sets were waiting for them on the table in the middle of their room. Gloria raised an eyebrow quizzically, but Bede brushed it off.

“Get ready,” he instructed, “we only have an hour.”

Gloria wanted to ask questions, but knowing how impatient Bede got, she decided against it. Rushing to the bathroom, she quickly touched up her makeup and threw her hair into a bun, a few long strands of hair falling to frame her face. Bede had always been quick at getting ready, and by the time Gloria was out of the bathroom, Bede was already dressed in his kimono. The black silk stood boldly against his pale skin, the black-to-purple fade on his _haori_ matching the deepest part of his irises. He was stunning, and Gloria really wanted to just look at him some more, but Bede flicked her forehead and reminded her to hurry.

He helped Gloria get into her kimono, knowing she didn’t have the same experience with wearing them, and carefully tied a bow with her _obi_ around her waist, making sure it was tight but still comfortable. The silk was soft against her, and Gloria loved the how the pink and white flowers were draped across the overall orange color.

“You’re beautiful,” he smiled, straightening her neckline. 

Hand in hand, the two walked down the streets of Ecruteak, a bag of their necessary belongings hanging off Bede’s shoulder. Lanterns turning on as the sun was setting on the horizon, but the streets were still filled with people. Gloria was surprised at how much they fit in; certainly, there were other tourists and locals walking around in casual streetwear, but there were just as many people dressed as traditionally as they were, if not more.

Gloria had never been to Ecruteak, even in her previous trips to Johto. Her previous visit was nearly four years ago, when she, Hop, Bede, and Marnie all stayed in Goldenrod and gambled for Hop’s eighteenth birthday. She and Bede weren’t even dating at the time, it was so long ago. Gloria snuck a glance at Bede, once again admiring how he looked in his kimono, and squeezed his hand tightly.

This was their first time in Johto as a couple. Maybe that was why Bede chose it.

Bede led her towards the Dance Theater, the large building standing out among the rest. Several people were heading the same direction, dressed formally and walking alongside their Eevee and Eevee evolutions. “Bede,” Gloria whispered, nudging her partner, “you should bring out Sylveon!” Bede looked at her, caught slightly off guard at the suggestion, but he nodded and brought out her Great Ball.

Sylveon was always a hyper Pokemon, but she was _ecstatic_ to be in a new place, running circles around the couple and rushing over to great other trainers and their Eeveelutions. She must have been a rare sight in Johto, as several people gasped when they saw her and immediately rushed to pet her or take photos of her, children nearby yelling to their parents in Johtonian. Sylveon was more than willing to accept their affection, posing with her ribbons taught for any pictures. Bede groaned, covering his face with his hand as Gloria laughed beside him.

Once they got close to the theater entrance, Sylveon reluctantly left her fans behind and caught up with her trainer. Bede handed two tickets over to the usher, who directed them towards a particular door. To Gloria’s shock, Bede had purchased seats only two rows away from the stage.

“This must have cost a fortune!” she whispered as they sat down, Sylveon jumping up to sit in her lap.

Bede shrugged nonchalantly, but there was a gleam of pride in his eyes. “Well, we _were_ overdue for a vacation.”

Gloria felt her heart soar, and she once again grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice sincere, “This is amazing. _You’re_ amazing.”

Bede’s expression softened, and he leaned in to peck her cheek. “I hope this will at least make up for the church.”

Gloria laughed, covering her mouth with her free hand. “Well, let’s see how the show is, _then_ I’ll decide,” she replied with a wink.

**Author's Note:**

> Allow me to lightly flex my Japan knowledge as I try to remember Japanese train announcements.
> 
> Tumblr: https://strategicdilemma.tumblr.com/  
> Bederia server: https://discord.gg/c4p2KVS  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/stratsdilemma


End file.
